Summer 2012 is in full swing (we wonât dare say itâs almost over), which means the Song of the Summer competition is heating up. Some favorites that were aiming for the revered title have since dropped off the map (So long, fun.!) and a few latecomers are quickly making up for lost time (like Marina and the Diamondsâ âPrimadonna,â above.)
Love them or hate them, these contenders for Song of Summer will stick with you for the rest of your lifeâso let your hair down and crank the AC, cuz weâre gonna serve, and work and turn, and hun-hun-hunny.
Click through to meet the new Song of Summer contenders
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Loreen, âEuphoriaâ
You can always count on the Swedes to get your groove thang in gear: Newcomer Loreen burst onto the scene recently with a track thatâs been setting European dance floors on fire and empowering every drunk, gay man with access to Spotify. We donât know much about the elusive dance queen/producer, but weâre almost positive sheâs making Deborah Cox cry.
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Katy Perry, âPart of Meâ
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Katy Perryâs sleeper hit may not be brand new, but her divine new documentary, Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D sure didnât hurt this singleâs sales. Dominating the âself-empowermentâ market, this catchy tune is the closest thing the Millennial generation will get to an âI Will Surviveâ or Cherâs âBelieve.â Yesâitâs a very large statement to make, but we know Ms. Perry is more than able to fill the big ass shoes of divas before her.
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Selena Gomez, âHit the Lightsâ
Disney has been turning out some major celebrities this millennium and, although sheâs not signed to Disneyâs label anymore, Selena Gomez has cultivated a magical career thatâs allowed her to retain that slight âgood girlâ image while singing about real-people problems like breaking up, being angry with Mom and Dad and finding a date for the prom. Donât hate, though: Her spunky attitude is infectious, sheâs having a blast with new-found fame, and doing a damn good job of proving she can play with the big dogs.
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http://youtu.be/VOz1uSLXMDM
Scissor Sisters, âLetâs Have A Kikiâ
Drop everything and put your life on pause. The Scissor Sisters have slayed the music industry again. The breakout hit has everyone in the world kiki-ing lately, and weâre glad this brilliant track found instant cult fame. Giving us equal parts Showgirls, Drag Race and Paris Is Burning, Ana Matronic is laying it on thick with these vocals, so fire up the smoke machine and put on your heelsâthis song is exactly what you need.
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He Met Her, âControlâ
Summer isnât all about heavy dance beats and flashing lasers: Every summer deserves a low-key, laid-back hit that just makes you feel allllright. This fun-loving, funky duo from L.A. is surprising everyone with this new electro-pop single, and weâre hoping âControlâ is this summerâs âPumped Up Kicks.â
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Azealia Banks, âLiquoriceâ
This bad-girl starlet from the 212 is giving Nicki Minaj a run for her money. Ditching the âheavy rapâ mantra and turning her funky lyrics into something more reminiscent of Salt Nâ Pepa or En Vogue, Queen Banks is converting gays in rap fansâand if the future of rap rides a Clydesdale and sports a sawed-off shotgun, weâre totally on board.
Marina and the Diamonds, âPrimadonnaâ
She may not be able to sing it live, but Grecian goddess Marina Diamandis knows what it takes to turn out a summer hit:Â The songâs catchy bassline and her mousy yodel are giving Sia a run for her money. And the bridges throughout the electro-infused beat are perfect for clearing the dance floor and serving up some runway fishiness.
Belize
“This bad-girl starlet from the 212 is giving Nicki Minaj a run for her money.”
I honestly think that they’re not of the same wave length. The only things comparable about Nicki Minaj and Azealia Banks are that they both rap, they’re both black women and they were both theater-bred. Their priorities seem to be very different. Nicki, despite her lyrics, lean more toward the crowd pleasers which is good for business. Azealia, I think, likes to challenge herself creatively which is good for the art itself. I would like to say that Nicki does the same thing with her oddities but I doubt that she’d be like that if Gaga wasn’t such a hit with teenagers.
s.b.
his name feels awful coming out of my mouth
DouggSeven
The author has no clue what ‘song of the summer’ means and just posted random crap off his Ipod.
JKB
I loved Kiki!! The video editing was amazing! đ
TD
@DouggSeven: Absolutely true. We all know “Call Me, Maybe” (however you feel about it) is THE song of the summer 2012. Period.
Joseph Hill
How about summer ‘classics’ like “Under the Boardwalk”, “The Summer Wind”, “Old Cape Cod”, “Up on the Roof”, and many Beach Boys songs. I guess I’m just an old fart living in the past; but these are the kinds of songs that bring me back to past summers.
Elloreigh
Never heard of most of these songs.
Right now, I’m liking The Wanted’s “Chasing the Sun” (but not that crappy sped-up remix they’ve been playing on the radio).
Heard a collab between Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City yesterday. Interesting, but “Call Me Maybe” is still her standout hit of summer.
Alex Sarmiento
“Euphoria” won the Eurovision Song Contest in May with the 2nd highest point-total ever, and it received points from every participating country… except Italy.
Tim
Didn’t that Selena Gomez song come out like a year ago? Something about both Azealia Banks and Marina and the Diamonds really rubs me the wrong way. They just seem to be trying too hard to be something, but aren’t that intelligent.
Sean
Marina and the Diamonds is #1 so far….but Pink’s Blow Me (One Last Kiss) has come out of the blocks fast. I’ feeling a number one hit soon…..
Sean
@Sean: and can’t forget FATM’s Spectrum…